Photo by Dana O'Connor
Key Points
This week, we held our first City Hall 101, and I want to thank everyone who took the time to attend, ask questions, listen, and learn more about how the City of Apopka operates.
The idea behind City Hall 101 is actually pretty simple: City government should not be a mystery.
Most residents are busy raising families, working, running businesses, coaching their kids, volunteering, and living their everyday lives. They shouldn’t need to understand every department, budget line, organizational chart, or government process to have their voices heard. But when residents want to understand how their city works, we should be willing to explain it.
Our first meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the structure of city government, the responsibilities of the Mayor and City Commission, the role of the City Administrator and staff, and how our departments work together to provide services to our residents.
We also talked about something that cannot be ignored: growth.
Apopka has changed significantly over the years. More homes, more businesses and more residents create greater demands on our roads, utilities, public safety, parks and city employees.
Growth doesn’t just mean building houses. Every new neighborhood eventually impacts water, wastewater, reclaimed water, traffic, police, fire, recreation and other city services.
That is why planning matters.
We also discussed the city’s organizational structure. I understand that when residents look at an organizational chart and see positions or changes, one of the first questions may be, “What is this going to cost?”
That is a fair question.
But there is another question we have to ask: What does it cost us when we don’t have the right organizational structure?
When projects continue rolling from one year into another, when departments operate in silos, when employees are wearing multiple hats, or when nobody clearly owns a responsibility, there is a cost associated with that too.
Our responsibility is to look at both sides.
We need to make sure taxpayer dollars are being respected while also making sure our employees have the tools, staffing, leadership and accountability necessary to serve a growing city.
That doesn’t mean government should grow simply because the population grows. It means we should continually examine whether our structure still makes sense.
City Hall 101 is also about creating an environment where residents can ask difficult questions.
You don’t have to agree with every decision City Hall makes. In fact, healthy disagreement is part of local government. But those conversations are much more productive when everyone has access to the same information and understands how decisions are made.
That is why each City Hall 101 includes time specifically for questions and answers.
If we are discussing the budget, let’s explain where the money comes from and where it goes. If we are discussing utilities, let’s explain what it takes to operate those systems. If we’re talking about development, let’s talk about infrastructure and impact fees. And if we’re talking about staffing, let’s explain why positions exist and what responsibilities they carry.
There will be additional City Hall 101 meetings through the remainder of the year, and each one will take us deeper into how our city operates.
My hope is that people leave these meetings knowing more about their city than when they walked through the door.
Government works better when residents are informed, employees understand the mission, elected officials listen, and everyone is willing to have a conversation.
That is what City Hall 101 is intended to accomplish. This isn’t about City Hall talking at residents.
It’s about opening the doors, explaining how things work, answering questions, and continuing the conversation about where Apopka goes from here.